


solangelo week 2020

by wordsofink



Series: weeks of solangelo [8]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Babysitting, Bakery, Camp Half-Blood, Capture the Flag, Cuddling, Dates, Dating, Demigods, Domestic, Father!Will, Father's Day, Fluff, Gifts, Implied/Referenced Anxiety, Kissing, Kittens, M/M, McDonald's, Modern Magic, Moving In Together, Nightmares, Nurse!Will, One-Shots, Panic Attacks, Sharing a Bed, Solangelo Week, implied PTSD, implied/referenced minor death, infirmary, parent!Will, solangelo, son of apollo!nico, son of hades!will
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:37:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24840163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wordsofink/pseuds/wordsofink
Summary: Another collection of one-shots featuring the two dorks :)*characters are not mine unless otherwise stated*Please let me know if you need/want anything tagged!! Warnings will be added as writing goes and at the top of each chapter (if it contains one)1: enough - father's day2: safe havens - infirmary3: muffins and butterflies - modern magic au4: battle scars - nightmares (minor tw)5: you and me - godswap au6: forget the flag - capture the flag (minor tw)
Relationships: Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Series: weeks of solangelo [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1407370
Comments: 37
Kudos: 184
Collections: Solangelo Week 2020





	1. enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico babysits Will's daughter.

Nico is, if he’s being honest, just a little stressed. It’s not like he’s never done this before, but somehow, it’s all suddenly catching up to him. What this could all mean. Well, maybe he’s getting ahead of himself. After all, all he’s really doing is watching over a five-year-old kid, a goldfish, and a cat. Which is something he’s done many times before. At least five or six times.

So he’s not sure why it feels like such a big deal right now. Other than that it’s not just for the afternoon or even the day. It’s for a whole weekend.

“Where’s Daddy?” Oriana asks. She’s five and looks so devastatingly like Will that Nico’s almost convinced that there was no mother. Right down to the ocean eyes that signal approaching tears.

“Daddy won’t be back until Sunday, sweetheart,” Nico says. He sits on the ground beside her, picking up a turtle plushie. “But we’ll call him tonight, remember?”

Oriana nods, still looking upset that her daddy isn’t around. Will had left early this morning, and Nico’s managed to get through most of the day before Oriana began asking. Nico sighs. He’s been dating Will for the last year and a half, but he has still yet to become family to Oriana. For the first year, she was convinced he was some kind of babysitter. Now, he’s not sure what she’s thinking. At least she doesn’t hate him.

“How about we focus on cleaning up your room a bit,” he suggests. “Let’s find a good home for Franklin here, okay?”

Oriana follows him to her room, her big, blue eyes trained on him as he starts sorting out her various toys. She has the same blond curls and a light spattering of freckles Will does, and somehow she’s become quite good at copying the varying expressions that Nico’s seen on Will’s face so many times. If she didn’t insist on being a vet, he’d have her signed up for theater.

“Franklin can’t sit there,” she says as Nico attempts to arrange her stuffed animals on the window seat. “He’s scared of Ben.” Nico points to the snake leaning on Franklin. Oriana nods.

“Maybe they haven’t gotten to know each other yet,” Nico says. Oriana doesn’t seem to hear him as she moves to separate the two. She places a fluffy bunny between them, nodding.

“And now Minnie can sit here. She likes both of them,” Oriana adds. Nico smiles. Only a daughter of Will’s would give her stuffed animals such practical names. Oriana makes sure all of the stuffed animals are comfortable and have enough space before haphazardly shoving her books into her bookshelf. Nico manages to get most of them straightened out before Oriana skips out of the room.

“We have to feed Gary!” she calls. “It’s five!”

She’s just learning to tell time, but Will’s taped little sticky notes to the clock in the living room. The five proudly has a sticky note with a fish next to it. (Other times noted are bedtime, school, and cat-feeding.)

“Here you go,” Nico says. He drops a few flakes into Oriana’s hands, making sure she’s steady on the step stool before she drops the food into the water. She watches to make sure Gary eats his dinner before blowing him a kiss.

“Now, how about we find ourselves some dinner?” Nico asks. Oriana nods. Even if Nico doesn’t know where he stands with her quite yet, he does know she’s in love with his cooking.  
“Can we have Mac and cheese?” she asks. It’s her absolute favorite, and Will always complains now that she won’t settle for the kind from the box anymore. Nico doesn’t mind too much. He loves cooking, and he loves Oriana. So it just makes sense. And that boxed stuff isn’t really all that good.

“Sure. Can you get the pasta out for me?” She dashes into the living room to grab her step stool before climbing up to get the box of macaroni noodles. “Perfect. How about the big pot?”

Oriana pulls her step stool up beside him as he starts cooking. She’s not quite old enough to shred the cheese or stir the pasta, but he likes sharing these moments with her. It feels like something a father and daughter would do, and he’s as much in love with Oriana as he is with Will.

“Smells good!” Oriana exclaims as the cheese starts melting. Nico had made sure they were stocked up on groceries before Will left. He wasn’t going to be heating up soup from a can or pasta from a box if he could help it. His mother had taught him to cook, and he wanted to share that passion with Oriana.

“Can I taste?” she asks. Nico gives her a small bit of cheese, smiling when she grins wide. “Yummy!”

“How’s school been?” he asks. She’s in kindergarten while Will’s at work, and Nico loves hearing her stories.

“School is good. Danny and I are looking for dinosaurs,” she says. “We read a book about them with Miss Shirley. She says most dinosaurs are dead. But me and Danny are gonna find the ones that aren’t.”

She continues to tell stories about dinosaur hunting and coloring and making peanut butter as Nico finishes cooking. He made extra so there will be leftovers. He dishes up two servings, carrying them over to the table. Oriana hurriedly rushes to set the table before hopping into her chair.

“Can we call Daddy after dinner?” she asks.

Nico nods. “Sure.”

Oriana digs in, and Nico relaxes. He’s made it to dinner on the first day. Just one more day to go before Will gets back. He can do this. He’s babysat before, but there’s something about taking care of Oriana that just makes things feel different. He’s not sure if it’s because he’s dating Will or because he’s always dreamed of having a family like this or that Oriana just calls him Nico like anyone else might.

“Do you miss Daddy, too?” Oriana asks. She’s got cheese sauce smeared around her face, but her bowl’s empty, so Nico counts it as a win.

“Yeah, but he’ll be back soon.”

Oriana nods. “Do you love Daddy?”

Nico smiles. “Very much.” Oriana hadn’t taken the news too hard when Will started dating. Of course, she was only three and probably didn’t know too different, but Nico was still someone new. And Oriana had accepted him into her life much like she accepted the chore list.

“I love Daddy, too,” she says. She throws her arms out wide. “This much!” Nico smiles, remembering the book she’s referring to.

“To the moon and back.”

Oriana eyes him for a moment before hopping down.

“Let’s wipe your face first,” Nico says. He hands her a napkin, before moving her bowl over to the sink. She’s not quite old enough to do the dishes yet, can’t quite reach the sink without getting water all over herself. But she brings their forks over and watches while Nico rinses everything.

“Look what time it is,” Nico says.

Oriana grins as the minute hand points to a rough drawing of a cat. “Vivi! Time to eat!”

Nico helps Oriana measure out Vivi’s food just as the cat runs in. She’s a fat orange tabby that Will’s had since college, and she pretty much runs the house second to Oriana. Vivi meows, head butting Oriana before shoving at her bowl.

“Patience,” Oriana says, a perfect imitation of her father, and Nico’s heart swells. There’s so much of him in her that it’s impossible not to love them both. Oriana dumps the food into the bowl, scratching Vivi’s head before dancing around.

“It’s time to call Daddy!” As soon as Nico pulls out his phone, she plops onto the couch. Nico sits beside her, and she snuggles close to him so she can see the screen. FaceTiming is definitely not the same as having Will here in person, but it does ease something in his heart. Something he knows Oriana feels, too.  
The moment Will’s face appears, she’s already off and rambling about their day. The park, cleaning her room, dinner. She tells him about how Nico had forgotten to do the laundry, and Nico looks sheepish.

“That’s okay, sweetie,” Will says. “You didn’t have too much laundry. We can do it when I get back.”

“But we fed Gary and Vivi. And I made sure Ben and Franklin didn’t sit next to each other.” Will smiles, nodding his head.

“What about Minnie?” Will asks.

“She’s friends with both of them,” Oriana says. “She sits next to both.” Nico has no idea how Will keeps all of the names straight but he does. Nico thinks it has something to do with all of the patients Will takes care of. And how he somehow also has most of his anatomy notes still memorized from college.

Nico’s lost half of the conversation as he’s gotten lost in his thoughts, but Will’s smiling and laughing through it all. Honestly, Nico was surprised when Will had said he was a father, but seeing them together, Nico can’t imagine Will not being one. And while he’s never wanted to be a father, himself, there’s something about Oriana that makes Nico think he could be.

“And how are you, Nico?” Will asks.

“I’m good. It’s been a busy day.”  
Will laughs. “So I hear. She isn’t causing too much trouble, is she?”

Oriana shakes her head. “No, she’s been a sweetheart.” And Will looks so proud of his daughter at that moment. “She helped me with dinner and cleaned her room and remembered when to feed the animals.”

“Thank you so much for staying with her,” Will says. Nico nods. This was the first time Nico had stayed over without Will there, and they both knew it was a big deal. “Don’t let her run the place!”

“Nico knows what to do,” Oriana pipes up. Nico smiles.

“I’m sure he does. Like bedtime is at eight tonight.” Oriana pouts, but Nico already knows Will’s extended bedtime rule on the weekends. On Friday and Saturday, she can go to bed at eight, later than on weekdays. “Maybe if you behave, he’ll have time to read you a bedtime story.”

Oriana brightens at this, and she nods.

“I miss you, Daddy,” she says. “I can’t wait until you come home!”

Will smiles, blowing her a kiss. “I’ll be home before you know it, sweetie. Be good for Nico. I love you so much.” Oriana blows a kiss at the screen, and then they’re saying goodbye.

It’s not too hard to get her into bed, but he does have to make sure she brushes all of her teeth and not just the four in the front. But then she’s climbing into bed, already yawning as she picks out which story she wants tonight. Nico knows she’s memorized all of them, but there’s a certain sacredness to storytime that hasn’t lost its magic yet.

“And it’s Minnie’s turn to sleep in my bed,” she says. So Nico retrieves Minnie, telling Ben and Franklin to behave as Oriana watches from her bed. Then he reads the story. By the time he’s finished, she’s fallen asleep, one arm looped over Minnie, the other flung across her pillow. Nico tucks her in, making sure her nightlight is plugged in before he cracks her door and steps into the hallway.

Will: Bedtime go okay?

Nico: She’s out like a light.

They text a bit more before Nico’s deciding to turn in himself. He doesn’t know how Will does this every day, but he supposes he might want to figure it out. If Will’s serious enough to let him into their lives like this, Nico better start thinking about what that might entail for the future. It doesn’t scare him like it would have two years ago. Instead, he settles into Will’s bed, thinking about how nice all of this would be to wake up to.

Nico: I’m exhausted, sunshine. Good night <3

Will: Goodnight, love  
-  
Nico curses whatever genes Will’s passed on that allows someone to be a morning person. Because he’s most definitely not, though he can’t exactly say that to Oriana. Especially not when she’s announcing that it’s time to feed Vivi and Gary and that she’s hungry, too.  
“C’mon, let’s see what’s for breakfast,” Nico says. He’s still in his pjs, teeth unbrushed, as he follows Oriana into the kitchen. Glancing at the clock, he realizes that it’s only just past seven in the morning. He supposes it makes sense. Both Oriana and Will have to be up early for work and school.

“Good morning, Gary,” Oriana says as she sprinkles the flakes across his tank. Nico swears Gary waves back, but he’s also quite sure he’s not totally awake yet.  
“Can we have pancakes?” She’s feeding Vivi now, and Nico’s not sure who’s babysitting who at this moment.

“How about tomorrow? When your daddy’s back?” He doesn’t feel awake enough to man the griddle and make sure Oriana doesn’t try to sneak in extra chocolate chips.

“Pancakes are Daddy’s favorite,” Oriana says. “You’re a good best friend.”

Nico must look surprised because Oriana laughs.

“I’m Daddy’s best friend, huh?” he asks.

Oriana nods. “Yeah, like me and Danny! Only we don’t kiss. That’s gross.”

“It’s gross when Daddy and I kiss?” Nico asks, more curious than anything.

Oriana shrugs. “Adults kiss, kids don’t. That’s what Daddy says.”

Nico hums. “Don’t want cooties.”

Oriana giggles again, launching into some song about cootie shots that Nico’s not sure if entirely legit. But he likes watching her sing and dance, and she’s off the subject of him and Will kissing.

“But Daddy doesn’t have cooties, so you’re okay,” she adds solemnly at the end of her song. “Which is good because I like you. You make Daddy smile really big. Like this!” She stretches her face into a wide grin, and Nico feels his own face mirror hers.

“Okay, let’s get you some sugar-free breakfast,” he says. He lets her pour her Cheerios, but he gets the milk. Oriana insists that Will lets her watch cartoons while she eats breakfast, and Nico caves just this once because he’s definitely seen Will doing the same thing.

They make it through the morning without anything super exciting happening. Nico rinses the dishes and Oriana spends most of the morning coloring and watching TV. Nico manages to get some work done before Oriana starts hovering near his screen and asking what everything is.

“What are you doing?”

There’s a commercial for yogurt on the TV that she’s paying no attention to.

“I’m reading this paper,” Nico says. He’s only graded one single paper this weekend, and he hopes his students will forgive him. They were way too invested in his love life, especially since Nico had accidentally let it slip that he was dating a single father with an adorable daughter. So maybe they’d let him off the hook if he explained he was babysitting said adorable daughter and all of his attention was primarily focused on her, of course.

“It has long words,” she says. “You must read really good. Like my daddy.”

Nico nods. “I think your daddy reads longer words,” he says. He’s seen some of Will’s papers, and Nico doesn’t even know how one would begin to pronounce some of those words.

“But you’re a teacher,” she says. “You teach people to read. So you should read long words.”

They’ve been over Nico’s job before. He taught English literature and Italian at the local college, and Oriana was fascinated to learn that adults went to school sometimes, too. But it was kind of hard to explain what an English professor did when Oriana was just learning to read.

“You must be very smart,” she says now, flopping on the couch. Vivi is curled up in the corner, and Oriana pets her gently. “You and my daddy are very smart. Maybe I can be just as smart as you when I’m older.”

Nico smiles. “You’re already very smart.”

Oriana beams. Nico knows about the biases people have of their own kids, but he really does believe that Oriana’s very smart. He’s sure part of it is Will’s support and intelligence, but Oriana was naturally a curious child and Will indulged her greatly in this area. Her bookshelf was full of encyclopedias for kids and books on animals and books about why things are the way they are. And she liked these as much as she loved her fairy tales and silly stories about goats who wanted to dance.

“When I grow up, I want to be like daddy. But take care of animals instead.”

“You’ll be a great vet, Oriana,” Nico says. “You already take such good care of Gary and Vivi.”

She nods, standing up again. “Can we go to the park? It’s tradition.”

And how could Nico say no to tradition. Especially when said tradition is what led him straight to Will. As Oriana plays on the playground, Nico thinks about that day. He’d come to the park to get some peace and quiet for a podcast he was listening to for class. (After making a mistake of not listening to a video all the way through one time, he now vets every piece of material before he shares it.)

But this particular day, he’d been so caught up in listening to this amazing analysis that he’d completely missed his step and found himself sprawled on the ground, head and knees aching. But it’d brought him Will who carefully cleaned up his scrapes with a first-aid kit he carried around and watched him for the next hour for signs of a concussion.

And then Will and his three-year-old Oriana took him home. Nico had woken up from a nap (luckily, he didn’t have a concussion) to find a bottle of painkillers, a glass of water, and a note with Will’s number on it.

“Nico!” Oriana calls now. “Push me!” She kicks her legs out from where she sits on the swing. The park was close to Will’s apartment, and it was one of Oriana’s favorite places to be. Will had spoiled her by coming here almost every Sunday, and now it was tradition.

They play until Oriana’s yawning again, her energy finally flagging a little. Nico convinces her to take a short nap, and he finds himself promptly falling asleep, too. He wakes up in time to prepare a snack for Oriana, which she eats while watching Nico type out comments on his students’ papers.

“When’s Daddy getting back?” she asks.

“After dinner,” Nico says. Will had tried to catch an earlier plane, but it’d been booked up.

“Can we have Mac and cheese again?”  
“Only because we didn’t have it for lunch,” Nico says. He’d made them chicken and fruit salad for lunch.

“Can I stay up until Daddy gets home?”

Nico nods. “Only if you promise to go right to bed after, okay? You have school tomorrow.”

Oriana holds out her pinky, and Nico shakes it. “Pinky promise.”

They have a quiet evening, Nico reheating the Mac and cheese while Oriana feeds the animals. Nico helps make sure her bookbag has everything it needs for school tomorrow, and he helps pack her lunch. They have everything ready, and Will still isn’t home. Oriana keeps glancing at the clock and at Nico.

He’s turned the tv on, hoping it would distract her a little, but she’s laser-focused on waiting for Will. And Nico is, too. If only because he’s missed him. They’ve gone weeks without seeing each other much more than a few hours, but this feels different. Nico’s not sure why.

Then at last the doorknob turns, and Oriana is launching herself at Will.

“Oriana, sweetie, hi,” Will says, immediately dropping his bag so he can scoop his daughter up. She wraps her arms around him, hugging him close.

“I missed you,” she says. Will kisses her forehead.

“I missed you, too. But I bet you and Nico had a lot of fun.”

Oriana nods. “Yeah, but now we can all have fun together!”

Will smiles, kissing her again. “I think it’s time for bed first.”

Oriana pouts, but then she remembers her promise to Nico. “Bedtime story first.”

Will barely has time to give Nico a quick peck on the cheek before he’s whisked away for storytime. Nico waits on the couch, smiling as he hears Oriana’s laughter and Will’s story voices. Then Oriana’s tucked in, and Will’s pulling Nico into a hug.

“I missed you, too,” he says.

Nico breathes in Will’s scent, slightly hidden underneath the smell of airplane. “I hope you don’t have another conference anytime soon.”

Will laughs. “I’ll send Cecil on the next one.”  
Nico smiles, pulling back so he can kiss Will properly. Will kisses him back, and they lose themselves for a few moments. 

“Everything was okay?” Will asks.

“Everything was perfect,” Nico says.

They don’t stay up too long, and Will convinces Nico to spend the night. They’ll be up early, but Nico would rather that than spending tonight alone. He’s just curled up in bed with Will, their legs tangling as Will snuggles close to Nico, when their door swings open.

“Daddy?”

“What’s wrong, sweetie?” Will asks. He sits up, fumbling for his glasses before Oriana’s climbing into the bed.

“I missed you,” she says.

“I’m back now, sweetie. And I won’t be leaving again for a while.”

Oriana nods, and Nico can feel her sitting on his leg. Will opens his arms, and Oriana crawls into them, sandwiched perfectly between Will and Nico.

“I knew you were coming back,” she says after a few moments. Will rubs her back, kissing her forehead. “Can I sleep here? Just for tonight?”

Nico hears Will yawn, and then he’s tucking Oriana safely under the covers.

“I love you, Daddy,” Oriana says. Her bony elbow is squished against Nico’s ribs, but he doesn’t mind too much.

“I love you, Oriana.”

“To the moon and back?”

Even in the darkness, Nico knows Will’s smiling.

“To the moon and back, sweetie.”

Oriana shifts, her elbow knocking into Nico again.

“I love you, too, Nico,” she says softly, and Nico thinks he’s hearing things.

“I love you, too, Oriana.”  
He feels Will’s hand find his, and Nico’s heart feels so full right now. He may not be cuddled up against his boyfriend and Oriana may not see him as a father yet, but this right here is enough. Just knowing that Oriana feels safe enough to drift off to sleep between the two of them, Will’s hand laying over Nico’s heart. 

It’s his, and it’s enough.


	2. safe havens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will has a surprise for Nico.

“Hey,” Will says. “I have a surprise for you. Well, for everyone. But I want to show you first.”

Nico lets Will lead him towards the infirmary, really hoping that Will wasn’t going to show Nico a new shipment of stress balls or essential oils. Not that Nico didn’t appreciate them, but he couldn’t manage to get as excited as Will.

“So I was thinking,” Will is saying as they get closer, “how a lot of the cabins are overfull and that there’s not really a safe space for anyone to go. If they need time to themselves, they can’t do it because there are always people around.”

Nico nods. That was true. He was lucky enough to have a cabin to himself, but only he and Percy got that luxury. If Will ever needed a space to calm down and unwind, he was always welcome in Nico’s cabin. Or he went to the lake, but even that space was often busy with lessons and campers just relaxing.

“And this is still a work in progress,” Will adds. “I haven’t quite worked out everything yet, but it’s a start.”

They’ve moved through the main part of the infirmary to the back. This is usually where Will and Nico and other infirmary workers would take their breaks. But now Nico sees that Will’s sectioned the entire thing off with curtains of various colors.

“You kind of inspired it,” Will says, blushing. “I mean, I know you like being here even if it’s a little too bright for your taste.”

Nico shrugs. He’s sure it’s the demigod in him, but he likes to have quick exits in every place he’s at, and the infirmary’s plentiful sunlight made it difficult to shadow-travel.

“And I know that sometimes your cabin isn’t the most friendly of spaces,” Will is saying now. “So I thought maybe this could be like a home away from home. For you and other demigods.”

He gestures proudly to the curtains, and Nico smiles. He’s not sure what he’s looking at, but Will’s clearly excited.

“May I have a tour?” Nico asks.

“Right this way,” Will says, grinning. He holds out his hand, and Nico takes it. They step behind the first curtain, a soft pink with string lights draped around it.

“So, each of these curtains is a little safe space,” Will says. “They each have different things in them for different preferences. Like this one is the brightest with the lights and the windows and the colors.”

Nico glances around the room. There’s a bed and a little desk and chair. One of Leo’s radios is playing soft music. The bed is full of soft pillows and blankets.

“And there’s a box of stress balls and stimming toys, too,” Will says. “I wanted to kind of put everything in here, but Kayla said that maybe there could be a system that if someone needed something else, they could just ask someone. Like essential oils or different music or whatnot.”

“This is really cool, Will,” Nico says. “I think they’re a great idea.”

Will beams. “And there’s a little sign outside so you can say if they’re occupied. I got some other campers to help me sound-proof them a little since everything’s divided by curtains. And I don’t want the infirmary hustle and bustle to be intrusive. But I haven’t worked out all of the kinks like how long someone can be in here or what their responsibility would be in maintaining the space.”

“All in good time,” Nico says. “What do the others look like?”

The other rooms are very similar to the first. The second one is decorated in pastel colors, the third one in more neutral tones.

“The last one is kind of dedicated to you,” Will says. “Or inspired by.”

Nico blushes. Will’s given him so many things, but he’s never given him a safe space quite like this. The curtains are a dark blue with little glow-in-the-dark stars. Soft music that Nico recognizes from his childhood is playing, and there’s a small collection of DVDs sitting on the desk. The space is dim, dark enough to shadow-travel, but light enough that Nico can see where everything is.

“It’s not too small, is it?” Will asks.

Nico shakes his head. “No, it’s perfect.” He feels close to tears that Will somehow thought of everything for this little space. “I love it.”

Will smiles, gently enveloping Nico in a hug.

“I know you’ve found a home here at camp, but I wanted to make sure you had space to yourself, too.”

Nico blinks, laughing. “Thank you. Now you’re going to have to redecorate my cabin.”

Will laughs. “I’m sure I could work on that. It is rather Gothic in there, isn’t it?”

Nico rolls his eyes. “I like the stars. Do they make constellations?”

Will shrugs. “I have no idea. Since I put them there, I doubt it.” He pauses. “Do you think the rooms need anything? I suggested posters to help with anxiety and panic attacks, but I wasn’t sure it would keep the calm atmosphere. And Clovis said he’d help with some nightmare blocking stuff.”

Nico smiles, kissing Will’s cheek. “No, you really have thought of everything. Maybe as campers start using them, you can have a suggestion box. See what they need.”

“And that’s why you’re amazing,” Will says.

“But maybe some art supplies?” Nico’s mind is going now, thinking of all the things that he’s tried since the wars ended. Will’s been so helpful in helping Nico heal, and Nico wants everyone at camp to be able to navigate their own healing in a safe space.

“Done. I’ll get Kayla on it.”

“You know, the only thing that would make this more perfect is if Cerberus could visit,” Nico says.

“Oh, no. I don’t care how fluffy and cute he is, he is not destroying my hard work,” Will says. Nico snorts.

“He just appreciates things in a different way than you do.”

Will raises his eyebrows. “He slobbers over everything and eats stuff.”

Nico shrugs. “That’s just how he shows his love. Like you making an entire room for me.”

“Fine. Maybe I can make one in the Underworld. And he can visit that one,” Will says.

Nico grins. “I know he’ll love it.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Will grumbles, but Nico knows he’s already thinking up design plans and maybe even spaces for the souls who live down there. Nico smiles, kissing Will’s cheek.

“C’mon, let’s get some lunch before you get carried away.”

“I’ve taught you well,” Will laughs. Nico rolls his eyes, pulling Will back into the main part of the infirmary.

“I really like my surprise,” he says. “You’re really amazing, you know that?”

Will hums. “Amazing enough to race you to the dining pavilion?”

“Oh, you’re on!”

And they’re off.


	3. muffins and butterflies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> modern magic where Nico works at a bakery and Will loves blueberry muffins

If you asked Nico, working at his family’s bakery wasn’t what he really wanted to do with his life. Though if you pried too far, he’d probably tell you that he didn’t actually know what he wanted to do with his life. So until then, he worked at the bakery, no questions asked. It wasn’t a bad job, though it did come with the usual hiccups. Such as annoying customers, the ovens being fiddly on busy days, and cute boys walking through the door.

“Hey, what can I get you?” Nico asks. He’s been here for three hours already, and he’s watching the clock closely. He has places to be for once, and he doesn’t want anyone stopping him.

“A blueberry muffin?” the boy says. He glances down at his hand. “Shoot. And a dozen snickerdoodles.” He gives Nico a shy grin, and Nico just rings up his order. He’s used to customers not always knowing what they want. If they ever ask, he recommends the chocolate chip cookies. No one ever turned down a chocolate chip cookie, especially the ones that his mother bakes.

Nico’s trying really hard to maintain the right balance of polite eye contact and just gazing at this cute boy. He’s got this polka-dot scarf wrapped around his neck, his cheeks pink from the cold. All of that really just highlights his brilliant blue eyes. Nico’s probably stared too long. “Coming right up. Will that be all?”

The boy nods, handing Nico a twenty-dollar bill and stepping to the end of the counter.

“Hey, Will!” Leo calls out, and Nico suddenly wants to know how Leo of all people knows this cute boy. (Well, maybe he should know. Leo definitely got out more than Nico did.)

“Hey, man. How’s the coffeemaker coming?” Will asks.

“Glad you asked. Would you like a cup of Joe on the house?”

“Only with a lot of milk and sugar,” Will says, and Leo laughs.

“Right. I forgot you don’t do strong coffee.” He winks, and Nico kind of wants to punch Leo now. Why does Leo get all of the cute ones? Just last week, he’d flirted with a girl that Katie had had her eyes on. (It all worked out okay as it finally spurred Katie to make a move.)

“Could you make two actually? My brother could probably use some. He’s been treating this patient all morning.”

Leo gives Will a thumbs up as he kicks his latest coffeemaker into gear. Nico makes sure to keep his distance. It’s not that he doesn’t trust Leo, but Leo’s machines often seem to have a mind of their own. And Nico’s never been one to trust a robot. Even if that robot had a bit of magic in them.

“Eat a cookie, Nico!” Leo calls when he catches Nico cowering behind the counter. Nico pouts, but he does grab a cookie, sighing as he bites into it. His mom’s recipes were infused with her magic. She was often able to influence people’s moods, and she channeled positive feelings into her baking. The chocolate chip cookies were for all-around feel-good vibes. The snickerdoodles were for calming with a kick of motivation. The oatmeal raisin were for focus and creativity.

Nico’s mildly impressed when Leo churns out two cups of coffee, topping Will’s off with milk and sugar.

“Not even coffee,” he snorts as he hands it over. “And here are your baked goods. Tell the family I said hi.”

Will smiles. “Will do.”

And then he’s gone, and Nico’s still riding the effects of his cookie to be too upset about it.  
-  
One of Nico’s pet-peeves is customers who come in right as he’s closing. So, of course, it happens more than he’d like. He’s just powering down everything behind the counter, on his way to change the door sign, when Will comes racing in.

“Sorry, sorry,” he sputters. “I just need, um, well, whatever you can give me?”

Nico blinks.

“We’re closed.”

Will lets out a frustrated sigh.

“I know, and I’m so sorry. But it’s flu season, so we’re being swamped with kids and parents, and Dad ran out of tea.” Nico’s starting to get the gist as Will keeps rambling.  
“Sure, whatever. Saves me from eating all of these later,” he says. Will looks so grateful as Nico starts bagging up their leftovers. There aren’t too many, but today had been a slower day, possibly because everyone was sick.

“Thank you so much. You’re a lifesaver.”

“No, I suppose you are,” Nico blurts.

Will blushes. “Well, my dad is, actually. I’m just the nurse.”

“Do you need help carrying these?” Nico asks. There are about four bags of food. Will checks his phone, cursing softly before looking back at Nico.

“Actually, yes. And if you know anything about kids, that’s great, too.”

Nico has no idea what he’s gotten himself into before he’s getting in Will’s car. He doesn’t even realize that he’s forgotten to actually close the bakery before he’s sitting outside a family clinic. SOLACE is etched across the building. Nico’s just had time to send off a few apologetic texts to his parents before he’s being pulled inside.

“Will!” someone calls. “I need you down in the waiting room!”

“I brought food and help,” Will calls back. He turns to Nico. “Come on, this part is easy.”

Nico thinks that he needs to stop being so caught up by cute boys. Though Will is by far the cutest, and it doesn’t hurt that he’s a nurse.

“Will, thank the gods,” someone sighs. “I’m up to my elbows in snot.”

“No problem, Lee,” Will says. “Here.” He tosses him a wrapped muffin, and Lee lets out a visible sigh.

“Gods, I love these,” he says before disappearing into one of the rooms. Nico glances around the waiting room. There are maybe ten families, all of them with red noses and tissues and sick kids.

“What do I do?” Nico asks. The last time he went to the doctor was for an ear infection.

“Just hand out the food and tell them they’ll be called back soon,” Will says. “We’ve got all of the rooms filled right now.”

Nico does as he’s told. He thanks his mom’s recipes for the noticeable change in the room, and Will looks relieved. He slumps against the wall just outside the waiting room, licking his fingers.

“Here,” Nico says, handing him a cookie. “I saved one for you.” He’s not sure why, but he has the feeling Will’s the kind of guy who’d give everything away before thinking of himself.

“Now you really are the lifesaver,” Will says. He breaks the cookie in half, handing one piece to Nico. “Sorry I kind of dragged you into this. You’re welcome to leave anytime. But wash your hands thoroughly when you get home. This stuff is gross.”

Nico laughs. He sits beside Will, nibbling on his cookie. Will’s half is already gone.

“So, this is your family’s business?” Nico asks.

Will nods. “Yeah, we’re all in the healing business. Only, my magic is less practical than theirs.”

“Tell me about it,” Nico mutters. “My mom’s the one who bakes, but my sister’s the one who grows all of the special ingredients we use. And my dad’s a boss with organization and numbers. Don’t tell me that isn’t a magical gift.”

Will smiles. “We could definitely use some of that here. My dad’s awful with the records. At least everyone leaves satisfied.” He pauses. “So what do you do? Is that rude?”  
Nico shrugs. “It’s easier if I just show you.” He focuses on the wall across from them, flicking his hand like he’s about to do a magic trick. In a way, he kind of is. The light overhead flickers a little as Nico draws the shadows together. It’s a little hard here where everything is bright and shiny, but he manages.

“Like shadow puppets,” Will says.

“Yeah, basically. Not too useful when working at a bakery. Or anywhere, really. Unless I wanted to open a haunted house.”

Will shrugs. “I think it’s cool, though.” Nico forms several animals for the few kids who are watching before dissolving them. The light overhead stops flickering.

“So, what can you do?”

Will smiles. “I can bend light,” he says. “Kind of like what you just did.” He gives a practiced flick of his wrist, and a few little sparks fly out. They look like fireflies from a distance, and Nico thinks they’re beautiful. Of course, this cute boy would have beautiful magic. The balls of light stretch into ribbons, twirling around Will’s wrist.

“Here,” he says softly, gesturing to Nico’s hand. “Have you ever seen Tangled? It’s kind of like that.”

Nico’s got a paper cut on his hand from filing papers the other day and a small burn from this morning. As Will’s ribbons wash over them, he feels a brief warmth before it ebbs away. His hand is good as new.

“That’s definitely not not useful,” Nico says.

Will shrugs. “Well, it only works with smaller injuries. I can’t heal bones or cure a cold. I can scan for symptoms, though. Hence, the nursing job.”

Nico smiles. “I think that’s pretty cool, though.”

Will blushes, and Nico marvels at his ability to make this cute boy’s cheeks pink.

“It was definitely handy when I was little and scared of the dark,” Will says. He looks at Nico. “But I’m not anymore.”

It feels like flirting, but Nico’s brain also wants to chalk it up to long days and sharing magic. There was always something intimate about baring yourself to others. Nico wants to ask Will if he means it, even though it’s only been a week since they’ve met.

“Will, hey, Lee needs you in room 12.” Will nods, already getting up.

“So, I’ll see you around?” Will asks.

Nico nods. “Yeah. See you around, Solace.”  
-  
From there, Nico’s diving into books on magic and research. He’s had this ability his whole life, but he wonders if there’s something more to it than he has realized. It’s possible that making shadow puppets is the extent of his magic, but it’s possible that it isn’t.

“Yo,” Leo calls. “Register.”

Nico’s about to snap that he’s on break and it’s Leo’s shift when he sees Will.

“Oh, hey. More cookies?”

Will nods. “Yeah. Honestly, we should probably just set up business with you guys or something.” Nico laughs. Will’s already been here seven times in the past week, buying cookies to help kids with broken bones, concussions, and other injuries.

“But then you wouldn’t get to come in,” Nico says. They’ve been flirting for the past two weeks now, and Nico just wants someone to make a move. Preferably Will.

“True. But maybe I’d see you around the clinic.”

Nico hears Leo make a grunting noise behind him.

“So just the cookies?” Nico asks, already ringing up the order.

“What do the muffins do?”

Nico smiles. Will always got a muffin when he came in. “Would you believe it if I said they had a love spell?”

Will’s eyes widen a bit, but he controls his facial expression. “Having met your mother, I’d say yes.”

Nico laughs at the memory. Will had come bursting in, expecting to see Nico, but Maria was manning the counter. Be it her magic or maternal forces, she knew exactly who Will was.

“I hate to disappoint you, but the muffins are just ordinary,” Nico says. Only the cookies had mood-altering effects (probably for legal reasons). “Though, we do use brown sugar.”

Will smiles, shrugging. Nico slips a blueberry muffin into the order, sealing the bag with a little sticker. It’s not his usual customer service, but he knows Will finds it endearing.

“Hey, I was doing some research, and I wanted to know if you could possibly help with nightmares?”

Nico frowns. He’d never worked with nightmares before. Sure, he’d had them when he was younger, but now his mom’s baking cured most daily emotional ailments.

“Just that nightmares are kind of like this tangible manifestation of darkness,” Will says, and Nico leans against the counter. He recognizes the tone of Will’s voice, that of a researcher making a discovery, and he also knows it could take a little bit of time to get to the point. But he doesn’t mind at all.

“So I was thinking that maybe you could manipulate the darkness? Or extract it? Your mom works with emotions. Maybe you could try and tap into that?”

It seems plausible. Families did often have a certain aspect or trait that carried on. Bianca, Nico’s sister, was able to feel what plants, specifically flowers, needed so she could care for them. And if Nico thought about it, his shadow magic worked best when he had a story to tell. When he was younger, his magic often was able to describe the stuff he wasn’t yet able to articulate.

“If you wanted to try, of course,” Will’s saying now. “I know what it’s like to keep trying and hoping.”

“Have you tried it before?” Nico asks.

Will shakes his head. “Not really. Our magic works more in tangible ways. We can’t heal emotional wounds.” And Nico couldn’t either, but his mom did have the ability to make anyone happy or sad or anything in between. But she chose to spread positivity and love (and she’d adjusted the dosages to be non-intrusive).

“I’d be willing to try,” Nico says.

Will beams. “Really? I, uh, may already have someone who’d be willing to let you try.”

Nico rolls his eyes. “You’d better be getting back,” he says. “But call me, yeah?”  
-  
So two days later, Nico’s at Will’s house. It’s the top floor of the clinic, the rooms filled with comfortable beds and green plants and posters that featured more video games and famous people than anatomy and hygiene. It’s kind of wild, honestly, to Nico. How similar but different the two spaces are.

“She knows you’re coming, but she doesn’t know when,” Will says. “Mostly for plausible testing purposes and beaus nightmares are unpredictable.”

Will’s leading Nico down a twisty hallway. They’ve opened the upstairs up so waiting room spaces have become a living room and a kitchen. The rooms in the back have become bedrooms. Still, Nico gets a little lost navigating.

“How many siblings do you have again?” Nico asks. So far, they’ve passed three bedrooms.

“Only four,” Will says. “Well, and then three half-siblings. Some of the rooms are for cousins.”

Nico nods. “So who am I trying to help?”

Will smiles. “Kayla’s my youngest sister. She just turned five maybe a month ago? We’re really not sure what the nightmares are being caused by, but they’ve been happening forever.” He pauses. “I’m not sure if you’d be a permanent solution, but we’ve tried a lot of other things already.”

Nico takes a deep breath. Kayla’s door is decorated with pink and blue butterflies. Will opens the door softly. Two nightlights are glowing in opposite corners, and Nico can see some of Will’s fireflies dancing around her headboard. It’s clear she’s asleep, but her face is pinched.

“Can I touch her hand?” Nico asks.

Will nods. “She’s a pretty heavy sleeper, which only makes it harder for her to leave the nightmares.”

“What’s her magic?”

Will shrugs. “She hasn’t shown too many signs yet. Though she is pretty good with animals.”

Nico smiles. He moves closer to the bed, taking Kayla’s hand gently. He really hopes this isn’t creepy. Will squeezes Nico’s other hand, and Nico almost loses his train of thought. Instead, he pulls his focus back to Kayla. It takes some time to search out for the darkness. Obviously, her room is dark, but he manages to find the nightmares.

He can’t see what they are, but he can feel them swirling in her thoughts.

“I don’t want to hurt her,” he whispers. Will hums.

“Just maybe try to ease it? If that makes any sense.”

Nico reaches out, focusing on pulling the darkness away, but it won’t budge. He tries a few more times. Frustrated, he dances his fingertips across Kayla’s hand.

“Wait, I have an idea.” Instead of trying to pull the darkness out, he changes tactics. He’s good at his shadow puppets. Instead of creating nightmares, he can create something else. He focuses again, thinking of those butterflies on her door. A single butterfly detaches itself from the nightmare, and then another. Soon, he’s got a kaleidoscope of butterflies.

“It’s working,” Will whispers. Nico glances down. Kayla’s mouth is no longer pinched. Instead, a small smile adorns her face.

Nico gives a last push, and the butterflies flutter on, dipping their wings between trees and flowers, dancing as butterflies do.

“I did it,” Nico says. He gently releases Kayla’s hand, holding his breath to see if it’ll last.

Will smiles, pulling him into a hug. “You did it. I don’t know what you did, but it worked.”

Nico feels proud as Will leads him back into the hallway, quietly shutting the door. “I just did the shadow puppet thing,” he says. “I didn’t think it’d work. I don’t know how long it’ll last, though.”

Will shakes his head. “Well, magic is about practice. But you were amazing.”

“I think I need a good sleep, too.”

Will laughs. “Let me walk you home.”  
-  
The next day, Nico’s not surprised when Will comes in. He’s already got Will’s muffin ready. But this time, he’s also got a little girl with him.

“For you!” she says, placing a handmade card on the counter. Will lifts her up so she can proudly showcase her art. “I only had one nightmare,” she exclaims.

“What did you dream of?” Nico asks.

Kayla grins. “Butterflies and bunny rabbits and chickens.” She opens her card, and Nico sees that she’s drawn her dreams out in colorful marker. “I made this card for you. As a thank you! Will says you made the bad dreams go away.”

Nico shrugs. “I did what I could.” He flicks his hand, and a tiny shadow butterfly flutters in his open hand. Kayla gasps, clapping.

“I want my magic to come! I can’t wait.”

“Okay, why don’t we let Nico get back to work,” Will says. He lowers Kayla back to the floor as Nico folds her card into his apron.

“It’s your turn,” Kayla says, nudging Will.

“Your turn for what?” Nico asks.

“To say thank you,” Will says, blushing.

“Yeah?”

“Thank you for helping Kayla,” Will says in a rush. “And maybe you’d like to go out sometime? Just the two of us, though.” This last part is directed at Kayla who’s too busy dancing around the bakery to care.

“I’d love to,” Nico says. “And maybe there’s a kiss in there somewhere?”

Will blushes deeper. “I can probably arrange that.”

Nico rolls his eyes. “Come here.” He gently tugs Will closer, pulling him into a kiss. The counter presses into his stomach uncomfortably, but he soon forgets that as Will’s lips respond to his own. And of course, Will tastes like blueberries.

“So, I’ll see you later?” Will asks.

Nico smiles. “I expect to be wowed.”

“I’ll do my best.”Nico pulls Will in for another kiss before stepping back. Leo’s standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

“Highly unprofessional,” he says, “but I approve.”

Now it’s Nico’s turn to blush. “Until tonight, I guess.”

Will pecks Nico’s cheek. “Until tonight.”


	4. battlescars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico and Will continue life together outside of Camp Half-Blood, but that doesn't mean that their scars are left behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning: nightmare scene with implied death and some blood-- if you wish to skip this part, the section starts with an alarm, the nightmare ends with "Will wakes with a gasp"

Will’s not sure who started it, but he’s definitely not in the mood to stop it. He’s just walked back to his and Nico’s shared apartment to find a galaxy of glow-in-the-dark stars stuck to their ceiling. Honestly, his first thought is that he’s not sure the landlord will agree to it. But he’s also pretty sure that his landlord is mildly scared of his boyfriend. Which leads to his second thought: that the stars are beautiful.

“I take it you like them,” Nico says, appearing in the hallway. Will probably looks like an idiot, standing in the doorway and staring at the ceiling.

“I really like them,” Will says.

“Well, good. Because popcorn ceilings are not fun.”

Will smiles. “Who knew you were such a cinnamon roll?”

Nico rolls his eyes, but he accepts the hug Will offers. He heads into the kitchen to make tea while Will changes from his scrubs into something more comfortable and clean-smelling.

“So, how was your day?”

Will shrugs. “As usual. Some kid threw up on me. And then Leo almost caught the place on fire.”

Nico snorts. “Did he say it was an accident?”

“I was too busy trying to stop his sneezing to really hear what he was saying,” Will says. Nico gives him a fond look. He gets Will’s favorite mug out of the cabinet and fixes his tea. “Thanks, sweetheart.”

“Sure thing, babe.”

Will rolls his eyes. He loves how even after four years, Nico will still blush at endearments. They move their conversation to the couch where Nico launches into a well-organized rant about these guys who tried to cut the line while he was working.

“Really? Right in front of your dad and everything?”

Nico nods. “Yeah, like they didn’t even see the fifty people in front of them. I know they’re dead, but it’s not like they can’t see.”

Will laughs. He loves Nico’s stories about work. He’s really starting to see the family resemblance between Nico and Hades.

“Also, Cerberus says hi. He loved his new chew toy.”

“I bet. Do you have a picture?”

Nico huffs, but he’s already pulling out his phone. Will doesn’t have to look to know that most of Nico’s photos are of Cerberus. Nico scrolls through a few, and Will smiles. Leo had to upgrade Nico’s storage so that he could fit all of the photos he had.

“Is that your dad?” Will asks.

Nico grins. “Yup.” Will smiles. Hades looks like a proud father beside Cerberus while the dog was ripping apart his chew toy.

They scroll through a few more pictures and sip their tea before Will’s yawning. He had a long day, and he was ready for bed.

“Hestia helped with the stars,” Nico says as they brush their teeth. Nico’s even placed them in the bathroom. “Blessed them and all.”

Will leans over to spit out his toothpaste before kissing Nico’s hair.

“That’s sweet of her.” Will knows that Nico’s been improving his relations with the gods recently, but Hestia was one of his favorites. She was one of the first to bless their home, even gifting them a fireplace.

“She can’t promise it’ll be foolproof, but the apartment does feel warmer.”

Will nods. It did. The stars glow a soft yellow above them as they make their way to the bedroom. A soft quilt and weighted blanket make up their bed along with the fluffiest pillows Nico could find. Will melts right into the mattress, sighing softly as Nico snuggles up to him.

“Good night, baby.”

“Sweet dreams, sunshine.”  
-  
It had all started with a nightlight, and now look where they were. Will doesn’t mind at all. In fact, he loves making this space a home. Both of them being demigods, the first several months had been rough. They were juggling responsibilities and mental health and their relationship. Will couldn’t always practice what he preached, and Nico wasn’t always there to support him in his full capacity either.

But they made do, reaching out and supporting when they could. For their first anniversary in the new apartment, Nico bought Will a lavender-scented nightlight. Both of them hated the dark, and the nightlight gave off a soft glow that felt comfortable.

After that, Will bought Nico a little cactus. The cactus didn’t need too much attention, but it gave Nico a routine since he was more used to being called away at the drop of a pin than making his own schedule. And it also helped Nico on his more melancholy days when he wasn’t feeling great. Just watering the plant or finding it sun felt like enough satisfaction to make it through to the next day or hour.

From there, Nico bought Will a pair of sweatpants and a bright orange hoodie for relaxing in. Will added pillows to their bed and couch. Nico bought a heated blanket for Will in the winter, and Will bought a weighted blanket for their bed. There was tea and sticky notes with cute messages and good-smelling soap and a couple more plants.

They were making things work.

“Sleep okay?” Nico asks as Will pads into the kitchen. He’s got an afternoon shift, so he’s planning on taking the morning easy.

“Yeah, like a baby. You?”

Nico nods, smiling. “I dreamt I was in outer space, but it was nice.”

Nico scrambles up some eggs while Will makes toast. He adds a dash of cinnamon and sugar to the slices as Nico plates their eggs.

“You know, I’m glad we did this,” Will says.

“Did what? Breakfast?”

“Well, that, too. But moving in together.” He laces their fingers together for a moment before letting Nico go back to eating. “I know it wasn’t great at the beginning, but I’m glad we’ve made a home.”

“I was getting pretty jealous of Annabeth and Percy,” Nico snorts. He glances over to a picture of the Jackson-Chase family on their wall. They were posing with Percy’s baby sister, all three smiling wide. “And this definitely beats the Hades cabin.”

Will laughs. “And rooming with all of my siblings.”

Nico blushes. There was definitely more privacy here.

“I still can’t believe they caught us that one time,” Nico whines.

“Kayla actually just brought it up the other day,” Will sighs. “I think we scarred her as much as she scarred us.”

“Well, good,” Nico huffs.

“What I was trying to say,” Will says, steering them back on topic, “was that I’m thankful you made the jump with me.”

Nico smiles. “Of course. I don’t think I could live this long with anyone else.” He leans over, giving Will’s cheek a peck. “Only you would think of trying to make me a Cerberus plushy.”

“You love it.”

“I do,” Nico hums. The plushy was currently sitting on their bed, tucked into the covers like he was sleeping.

They finish their breakfasts before Nico has to leave for work. Will kisses him goodbye, waving like the proud boyfriend he is. Then he settles on the couch with a book.  
-  
There’s an alarm sounding from somewhere, but it doesn’t matter. Will’s body knows what the alarm means even if his mind hasn’t caught up. The alarm means an attack. Something bad. He’s torn between rushing to the infirmary for his first-aid kit or checking on his cabin. Either way, he’s going to be needed in the other place, too.

Will’s feet take him to the infirmary, and he grabs blindly for his kit. Campers are already streaming towards the borders, hopefully, prepared for whatever is attacking. Will sees arrows flying a little way down the hill, a flash warning being sent up through the trees. He rushes in that direction.

There hasn’t been an attack in months, and Will knows he shouldn’t have gotten used to the domestic life he and Nico had built. Demigods didn’t get that luxury. At least a lot of the older demigods had gotten out when they could, only coming in to train new generations and help if needed.

But Will was still here, and so was Nico. Where was Nico? Will can’t remember if he was teaching classes today or working with his father.

“Medic!” someone screams, and Will lets instincts take over. He’s watched so many people die, and he doesn’t want to anymore. He finds the camper with a gash across their chest, and it takes him too long to figure out what’s happened. Why was his brain working so slow? Usually, he was quicker.

He fumbles with a roll of bandages, scrabbling for some nectar. But he can’t find it. It was always in his pack. He made sure of it every day before he left.

“Hey, it’s okay,” a faint voice says, but Will doesn’t believe it. This camper was dying. It was not okay.

“You’re okay. Wake up, sunshine.” Will glances around wildly, sure he’s just heard Nico’s voice. But Nico’s nowhere to be seen. Campers are running everywhere, supplying weapons, dressing the injured, attacking.

“Nico,” Will mumbles. The camper is already gone, and Will can’t bring himself to move.

“Will, I’m right here. Open your eyes.”

Will wakes with a gasp, and Nico’s there to catch him. His thoughts are moving too fast, so it takes him a long few moments to realize that he’s fallen asleep on the couch. The fire is roaring, and Nico’s draped one of their blankets around them. Letting out a sob, Will presses as close to Nico as he can.

Nico adjusts Will’s grip silently, letting Will release the panic he’d been feeling just moments ago. He doesn’t know how long he cries until he’s worn out. Nico hands him a glass of water, and Will sips at it. Tea would be nice, but he’s not about to let Nico leave his line of sight yet.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Nico asks.

“Just the usual,” Will hums.

Nico cards his fingers through Will’s hair, adjusting them slightly again so that Will wasn’t leaning so heavily on Nico. Will feels a soft kiss at his temple.

“I came home and you were glowing,” Nico says softly. Will nods. Nico’s told him this before. Sometimes Will tries to heal in his dreams. “Was it a memory?”

Will shrugs. “Kinda.”

Nico nods, hugging Will gently. They settle into a comfortable silence, Will leaning back against the couch. He’d missed his shift, but he was sure they’d understand. It was closer to evening now, and the stars glowed faintly above them.

“I really do like the stars,” Will says quietly.

“Me, too. Do you feel like eating? I brought home takeout.”

“Not yet.”

Will turns back to the stars, counting quietly in his head as he calmed down. Nico’s hand gently brushes up and down his arm, and Will sinks into the warm presence. The stars didn’t erase his nightmares, but they did make the world a little more beautiful.

“Could you make me some tea, please?” Will asks.

“Of course. With honey?” Will smiles, nodding. He feels the couch shift as Nico gets up. The sounds of the cabinets made everything feel domestic enough, so far away from camp and his demigod life.

Sometimes Will wishes he was born a mortal. But maybe he would be wishing for something else, too. Something he couldn’t have. And there were plenty of things to break someone’s soul in the mortal world. Titans and angry gods weren’t the only monsters around.

“Wanna watch a movie?” Nico asks, handing Will his tea. He’s made himself a bowl of his takeout. The smell of butter is nice.

“Sure, but something funny,” Will says. He snuggles close to his boyfriend. Maybe he can’t be a mortal and maybe he has to live with these nightmares. But he also gets to live with a pretty amazing guy who smells like pomegranates and gives him stars.

“I love you, Nico.”

“I love you, too, sunshine. Now watch the movie.”


	5. you and me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico gets a cat, practices archery, and goes on a date.

“Solace!”

Will wakes up, fumbling out of bed. There was only one voice he would get up this early for.

“Why, what business brings you here?” Will asks, grinning. Nico’s standing in his scrubs on Will’s porch looking none too happy about it.

“I think you very well know,” Nico says. “What’s this?”

“She is a cat,” Will says. “I’d think a doctor like yourself would know that.”

Nico huffs. “I know she’s a cat. But what was she doing sleeping on my bed?”

Will shrugs. “Thought you’d like her company. She clearly likes yours.”

Nico looks down to where the cat is head butting his ankles.

“What am I supposed to do with her?”

Will leans against his doorframe. “Don’t tell me you don’t know how animals work.”

“She’s a skeleton, Will. I deal with living things. And you know I’m not even that great of a healer.”

“The dead aren’t too much different. Less physical healing anyway.”

Nico fixes Will with an unimpressed look. “Fine. She can stay. But she’d better not scare the patients or my siblings. Things are chaotic enough as they are.” He leans down to pick up the kitten.

“Now you have to name her. A good one. Not like your plant names.”

Nico pouts. “I think Beverly is a perfectly good name. How about Poe?”

“She’s a girl.”

Nico shrugs. “She likes it,” he says. Poe purrs loudly as Nico scratches the top of her bony head. “It’s settled. This is Poe.” Poe seems to agree as she snuggles close to Nico’s face, batting him playfully. Will smiles as Nico tries to pretend he doesn’t like it. Will knew Nico was a sucker for cats.

“I knew you’d like her,” he says.

“Okay, she’s adorable. But no more bringing skeletons to life or whatever this is. You’ll overwork yourself.”

Will holds up his hand. “Scouts honor.”

“You weren’t even a Scout.”

Will shrugs. “Honor still stands, I suppose.”

Nico grumbles something Will doesn’t catch before he’s turning on his heel and walking towards the infirmary. He was by far the grumpiest of the Apollo children, but Will couldn’t help but like that. After all, he was probably the sunniest child of Hades anyone had ever heard of.  
-  
Nico’s not sure what to think of his new companion. She had that same weird dead vibe that Will had, but it wasn’t off-putting. In fact, there was something almost comfortable in it. Somehow, upon arriving at camp, he and Will had hit it off pretty well. Will had made it some goal of his to befriend Nico, and Nico hadn’t put much effort in warding off his advances. Not that Nico minded Will’s friendship. It definitely had its perks.

Like this adorable skeleton cat currently making a nest out of his pile of bandages. At least she didn’t shed. One less thing to worry about, he supposes. He’s almost done with his infirmary shift, and he’s glad of it. While other Apollo children had gotten healing abilities, Nico was more of a fighter. Specifically with the bow and arrow.

“Di Angelo, you’re good to go,” Austin calls, and Nico scoops Poe up.

“C’mon, let’s go do something fun.”

He’s not surprised at all to see Will lounging around the archery field. Will was lying on his back, fingers fiddling with what looked like a daisy chain.

“Rough day?” Nico calls.

Will shrugs. “Sometimes it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been doing it,” he says. “It’s still sad.”

Nico nods. He isn’t sure the specifics of what Will spends his time doing, but he knows it has something to do with helping his dad in the Underworld.

“But Cerberus says hi. He approves of Poe.”

Nico doesn’t know how to respond to that, so he doesn’t. He’s brought his own bow, so he hunts around for some good arrows. They’d had a capture the flag game just last week, so many of the arrows needed repairing or just replaced. When he finds enough for good practice, he notices Will’s sat up.

“Can I watch?”

“You’re already watching,” Nico huffs. Will seems content with that response. Nico tunes him out, nocking his first arrow and studying the target. He would have to talk to Chiron soon about getting new equipment. He could barely make out the markings on the wooden board, but he figures that’s just as well. Monsters didn’t have bullseyes on them during battle.

He lets the arrow fly. Then he readies the next one.

Nico shoots until he’s out of arrows. Will runs over with a glass of water.

“Thanks, Solace.”

Will grins. “Anything to help a fellow camper and friend. Poe’s impressed.”

Nico glances over to where Will had been sitting. Poe’s curled up in Will’s flower crown, watching intently. He accepts the water and drains it in a few sips. Will goes back to sit with Poe while Nico shoots a few more rounds. Sometimes Nico practiced with one of his siblings or another camper, but oftentimes, it was just him and Will.

“Want to grab a snack?” Will asks. “Dad got me a popcorn popper thing. We could watch a movie, too.”

Nico rolls his eyes. “Only if you promise you won’t sign me up for the campfire sing-along again.”

“Deal. But you were great. I knew you could sing.”

Nico huffs. “Then you should also know I know the quickest ways to kill you and how to make it look like an accident.”

Will just shrugs. “So do I. So, movie and popcorn?”

“Yes. Let me shower first.”  
-  
Will’s not sure when they became friends. Or even when they started dating. But he didn’t mind too much. He’s waiting for Nico to arrive, anxiously tapping his toes against his doorframe. Poe’s curled up on his bed because Nico had spent the night. But he’d insisted he wanted to get ready alone, so he’d returned to his own cabin.

“You waiting for someone?” Nico asks. Will jumps.

“Hey, I’m the son of Hades. No creepy stuff from you.”

Nico smirks. “Maybe that’s why you like me.”

Will huffs. He’s a little caught off guard by Nico’s eyeliner. While he’d always thought Nico was attractive, it was definitely a change to see him embracing and even highlighting that attractiveness. And the eyeliner definitely brought out his eyes.

“So you’re ready?” Will asks.

“Sweep me off my feet or whatever,” Nico says. He’s got his hands stuffed into his jacket, but he looks excited.

“Don’t forget to hold on,” Will says. He’s been practicing his shadow-traveling more lately, and he knows he’s got it down. But sometimes nerves got in the way. Nico laces his fingers with Will’s.

“This good?”

Will takes a deep breath and melts into the shadows. He hopes Nico doesn’t get motion-sick.

“What the heck is this place?” Nico asks.

Will looks at their surroundings. “Oh, it’s just down the street. Sorry. Better shadows here.”

Nico rolls his eyes. “Didn’t want to spook any mortals?”

They’re still holding hands as they walk down the sidewalk. No one really gives them a second glance, and Will hopes it stays that way. He didn’t often venture into the city, especially in the evening. But he wanted tonight to be special. And Nico deserved it.

“McDonald’s?”

“Yup. Only the best for my angel. After you.”

Nico orders a Happy Meal because he claims the food just tastes better. Will knows the truth. He sees Nico’s excitement as he rips into the toy. It’s a little figurine that Will recognizes from the similar ones on Nico’s shelf.

“Do you have that one?” Will asks.

Nico nods. “Yeah. But it’s a pretty good one. You want it?”

He says it casually, but Will knows there’s more. Since they’d started acknowledging their couple status, they’d started sharing more things with each other. And Will was one of the few people who knew the significance of the figurines to Nico.

“Sure. I know just the place for it.”

Nico smiles. They eat in silence, each savoring their food. Camp food was good, but it didn’t have that same fast food-quality greasiness actual fast food places did. And it wasn’t every day that they could eat out.

“How about some ice cream?” Will asks. “They have the M&M kind.”

“You know, as a resident doctor, I’m supposed to say that this meal is very bad for us,” Nico says.

“You’re not a doctor.”

“I have the scrubs and the ID,” Nico says.

“Right, I’m sorry,” Will laughs.

“As I was saying,” Nico pushes on, “but I suppose tonight is a special night.”

“It is our four-month anniversary.”

“So maybe we could split an ice cream.”

“And by that, you mean that I pay for two ice creams because you’re totally going to eat part of my half,” Will says. Nico rolls his eyes, but he lets Will buy them an ice cream each and doesn’t complain when he eats the whole thing.

“Too bad we couldn’t bring Poe,” Nico says.

“I can get her,” Will says.

“Don’t you dare.”

Will shrugs. “Wouldn’t be the weirdest thing McDonald’s has seen. She’s just a few tiny bones. They wouldn’t even notice it.”

Nico shakes his head. Will doesn’t do anything. He doubts the mortals would notice, but monsters definitely would. They were probably already closing in.

“Well, guess we should be getting back,” Will says. “Wanna continue this date in my cabin?”

“Smooth, Solace.” He takes Will’s hand. No one gives them a second glance as they disappear behind the restaurant.

Poe’s waiting for them to get back, snuggled up in Will’s blankets.

“Wanna spend the night?” Will asks.

Nico glances out the window. “Well, the harpies are already patrolling. And it’d be kind of a downer to get eaten on our anniversary.”

“You know I’d visit you in the Underworld,” Will says.

“Would be kind of awkward to have our dates where your dad was watching, though,” Nico points out.

“Is that a yes?”

Nico playfully punches Will’s shoulder. “Yes, now scoot over. You always hog the blankets.”

“I’m always cold!” Will protests, but he lets Nico have some of the blankets. Nico scoots closer to him, and Will sighs. Nico was always so warm. Will loves it. Poe curls up on Will’s pillow, purring softly when Nico kisses her head.

“Good night, angel.”

“Good night, sunshine.”


	6. forget the flag

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not quite a capture the flag game but the game is happening in the background haha

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning: implied/small panic attack-- around the time Will hears a gasp and calls out that he's a medic

Will could tell something was up the moment Nico walks into the infirmary. He knew better than to pry, so he just hands Nico a stack of bandages and a pair of scissors. Today was Will’s day to do inventory, so he was taking the time to clean out the storage closet. A lot of the stuff in there was dusty or needed to be replaced, and he wants to make a list before Chiron went into town.

“So, I’m guessing you heard about the capture the flag game,” Nico says. Will hums.

It was the first game since the war. Chiron had gotten requests for a game sooner, but a lot of the campers were still recovering, and the gods were still uneasy about how some things had gone.

“I heard he’s posted new rules,” Will says. “Which I’m grateful for. This place has finally slowed down.”

It’s Nico’s turn to hum. “Do you think it’s a good idea?”

Will glances over at Nico. He can’t quite read his expression. After getting to know Nico better over the last year, they’d become fast friends. But that didn’t mean that parts of Nico weren’t still a mystery. Right now, Will can tell that the game is making Nico uneasy, but he’s not sure why.

“Could be good. As demigods, it’s probably good if we keep our skills up,” Will says. “And everyone seems to want it to happen. Plus, the new rules are good. No prisoners, no excessive use of force or powers. Hopefully, it’ll be more like a skirmish with a lot of yelling. More bark than bite.”

Nico nods. He’s finished his pile of bandages, all of them neatly stacked. “Do you think I’m ready?”

Will’s caught off guard by the question. For the first few weeks of their friendship, Nico had pushed back on every piece of advice Will had given him. But as they’d grown to trust each other, they’d also learned to respect each other’s opinions.

“No excessive uses of power,” Will says. “So no shadow-traveling. No summoning the dead.”

Nico fiddles with a bandage, and Will knows it’s something deeper than that.

“I was excited when I first heard the announcement,” Nico says softly. “But then I started thinking that maybe I’m not really ready. I don’t know.”

Will pauses what he’s doing to stand beside Nico.

“Can you elaborate?” Will asks.

Nico shrugs. “Just that I keep having these nightmares, you know. And I can’t even sleep through the whole night without worrying that something’s going to attack me.” He pauses. “I’m okay during the day. But I don’t know.”

Will nods. He thinks he knows what Nico’s getting at. “You’re worried the game will trigger your memories?”

Nico nods. “Yeah. Is that stupid? I mean, we’re demigods. We were born to fight or whatever.”

Will hums. “Does sparring trigger you? Or training?”

Nico shakes his head, putting his bandage down. “But I know I can stop that fight. And I choose who I spar with.”

“I doubt you’re the only one feeling this,” Will says softly. He has his own share of nightmares and memories. More often than not, he wakes to the phantom feeling of blood on his hands or distant screaming, the feeling of a heartbeat trickling away. Lately, all of the injuries he’s treated can be fixed with a bandage and some painkillers.

“But I can’t just not do it,” Nico huffs. “I can’t just not fight. And I want to. I want to get over this. Through this. Whatever.”

Will smiles. Nico was strong, even more than his parentage suggested. “What if we watch each other’s backs?” Will suggests. “If it gets too much for either of us, we can find each other and take a breather.”

“Isn’t that cowardly?” Nico asks.

Will shakes his head. “Mental health is important. And self-care. It’s okay if you’re not fully ready, Nico.”

Nico looks at him for the first time since he walked in. “Are you scared, too?”

“Yeah, but I know we’ll be okay.”  
-  
As it happened, they were on opposing teams. Will’s job was to scout for the flag and to watch for anyone who might be injured. Nico’s job was to watch the flag.

“Everyone remembers the rules?” Chiron asks. “We’re family here.”

Will stays back while his team charges forward. He feels that familiar adrenaline of being in a fight. The feeling is a little different, knowing that the game was friendly, that these were his friends, that the world wasn’t in peril. But he winces as he hears two swords clang against each other, hears the yelling.

He decides to move along the perimeter now, trying to find Nico. He’s not sure where Nico would hide the flag, but he wants to keep his promise. Along the way, he tends to a few cuts and scrapes, mostly minor injuries from tripping or crashing through the forest. He’s glad that the younger campers aren’t allowed to play yet, no matter how experienced.

The blue team had won the forest and lakeside, and Will feels his anxiety spike as he steps between the trees. It’s not quite dark, the evening sun still shining through the leaves. But it’s dark enough, and Will’s never been a fan of the dark. He pulls out a glow stick from his first aid kit, cracking it so that it gives off a faint orange light.

There isn’t much fighting going on over here, no one really breaching the tree line. But Will has a feeling that the flag is back here. He keeps his eyes open for traps and whatever else might jump out at him. He’s been a demigod long enough to know to trust his gut.

And right now it was telling him to get the heck out of there.

He’s about to turn back towards the lake when he hears a sharp intake of breath.

“Hello?” he calls. “Medic here.”

He’s not unarmed, but he’s not about to get attacked because he cares about people.

“Will?”

Will follows the voice, finding Nico curled up at the base of a tree. The flag lays beneath him.

“Nico, hey, what’s wrong? I’m here, Nico.”

Nico doesn’t really answer, hands scrabbling to find Will. His grip tightens over Will’s knee, and Will tells himself to keep his breathing steady. His priority is Nico’s safety.

“Can you move? We can go sit by the lake? Or go to your cabin?” The infirmary would be starting to fill up now.

“The flag,” Nico mumbles after a moment.

“It’s just a game. You’re more important.”

Nico seems to be debating, but Will knows it’s only a matter of time before someone comes to check the forest. He’s surprised no one has yet. But he guesses everyone is dealing with their own demons.

“Was Travis’s idea,” Nico says as he slowly uncurls. He looks a bit unsteady, so Will loops his arm around Nico’s shoulders.

“This okay?” Nico nods.

“Can I shadow-travel? Don’t want them to see me.” He’s clearly embarrassed but too frightened to do anything about it. Will debates it in his head before nodding.

“As long as you let me take care of you.”

Nico just nods, and then they melt into the darkness.  
-  
Will’s surprised when he finds himself in his own cabin. Nico just plops onto Will’s bed, already pulling the covers over him as he shucks off his shoes. Will doesn’t let himself think about what it means that Nico brought them here instead of his own cabin. Instead, he moves towards the closet to find them food and other things.

By the time he’s back, Nico’s made a nest out of Will’s blankets and pillows.

“Hey, Nico,” Will says softly. “I’m back.”

Nico doesn’t respond, but he scoots over so Will can sit or lay down.

“I’ve got some food and drinks here. Or games.” Nico makes grabby hands towards the Play-Doh, so Will takes the top off. Nico squishes the Play-Doh into a ball, rolling it in his hands.

“You’re not hurt, are you?”

Nico shakes his head. “‘M fine.”

Will smiles. He takes his own shoes off, scooting in beside Nico. “Wanna talk about it?”

Will watches Nico’s hands work the Play-Doh, not sure if he was making something in particular or just releasing stress. Either way, he was glad to see Nico not locked into his thoughts. It’s a bit of time before Nico speaks.

“Didn’t like the dark. Reminds me of— you know.” Will nods. He’s heard enough from Percy and Annabeth to have a sense of what Nico went through. And even without any finer details, it sounds beyond awful. “Your cabin is nicer.”

Will smiles. “Lots of sun. Even after sunset.”

Right now, soft pink light was stretching in through the windows. Nightlights and lamps were strategically placed around the cabin to keep dark corners illuminated and ward off nightmares. Nico’s cabin, on the other hand, was furnished in dark reds and black, the only light source being a few windows and the fireplace.

“Are you hungry?”

Nico shrugs, so Will grabs a package of fruit snacks. He had to hide them from his siblings who had taken quite a liking to them. Nico seems to perk up as well when he hears the crinkly package. He squishes a green one between his fingers before popping it into his mouth.

“Do you think someone’s won yet?” Nico asks.

The sounds of the game were dying down, and it was getting dark. They’d been laying here for at least an hour, and Will was getting sleepy. They passed the fruit snacks between them, Will opening juice boxes for them. Nico was still working with his Play-Doh, making odd shapes before squishing it back into a ball.

“You can stay here tonight,” Will says. “I’ve got some pjs you can borrow if you want.”

“Are you sure?”

Will nods. “Yeah. I don’t mind. But I have been told I’m snuggly.”

Nico hums. “I don’t mind. Might be a nice change.” He holds out his newest Play-Doh creation, and Will smiles. It’s a rough impression of sunshine, complete with little rays and a smiley face. “Thanks, Will.”

“Anytime,” Will says.

“Do you think Percy will be upset that I stole the flag?” Nico asks after a few moments. Will blinks.

“What do you mean? Stole the flag?”

Nico shifts, pulling out a crumpled blue piece of fabric. Will can’t help laughing, and soon Nico’s joining in.

“Gods, Nico. Percy’s gonna be so happy. I hear he had a lot riding on this game.”

Nico smiles, throwing the flag on the nightstand with their food wrappers. Will rolls his eyes.

“We’re going to be in trouble tomorrow,” Will mumbles. “Not that I really care. Why couldn’t we just have a volleyball tournament instead? Like normal people.”

“We’re clearly not normal,” Nico snorts.

They settle into a comfortable silence, Nico putting his Play-Doh back into the container. Will yawns. This is probably the earliest he’s gone to bed in a while, but he’s exhausted. He’s probably going to be making up sleep debt until the day he dies.

Will feels Nico scoot a little closer to him, his breath evening out more.

“Don’t you dare wake me up for breakfast, Solace,” Nico grumbles sleepily.

“And what if I did?” Will asks. He’s not entirely sure that Nico’s even awake still. He’s just dropping off to sleep when Nico presses into his arm.

“Guess I wouldn’t mind too much.”

Will smiles, pulling the blanket over both of them. “Good night, Nico. Sweet dreams.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey all, thanks for reading and commenting :) check out the other solangelo week fics (can probably access it through the collection?) and I hope you're all doing well and staying safe!
> 
> also, prompts are open :)

**Author's Note:**

> comments are appreciated :) and prompts are open!
> 
> also, if anyone wants to check out some BLM resources: https://docs.google.com/document/u/2/d/1H-Vxs6jEUByXylMS2BjGH1kQ7mEuZnHpPSs1Bpaqmw0/mobilebasic?usp=gmail#id.2bwn4teflt1v


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